MLB Rumors: Kansas City Royals May Trade Billy Butler

By Andy Schmidt

Peter G. Aiken-USA TODAY Sports

This week is bound to bring a ton of chatter inMajor League Baseball with the Winter Meetings going on in Nashville. There was one piece of chatter that popped up Monday night that caught my eye in the Kansas City Royals having talks with the Baltimore Orioles and Seattle Mariners about the possibility of a trade involving Billy Butler. When I first read that, I was a bit shocked that the Royals would consider such a move with their full-time designated hitter.

After some careful thinking, the Royals may be on to something if they really wanted to trade Butler which I still don’t think is a good idea. If Kansas City were to trade Butler to Seattle, which is the more likely place he would go if traded, what can the Royals get in return? Kansas City would likely want at least two or three top prospects for Butler or a major league player already on the Mariners’ roster like Kyle Seager plus more. Baltimore seems more of a long shot but if you are the Orioles, putting Butler in your lineup makes an already powerful starting nine even more dangerous when you can put Butler in between Adam Jones and Matt Wieters. If the Orioles are serious about a title though, they may need to make a move like this.

I honestly don’t think the Royals should consider trading Butler. He is a major piece on a team that would be much better if it just got some more pitching help. I could see the reasoning if Kansas City did pull the trigger on this move but they will have to be completely overwhelmed for this to happen which I just don’t see happening.

Andy Schmidt is a columnist/writer for RantSports. Follow him on Twitter @ASchmidtSports or like his Facebook page.